Samuel whitehotjse aistd scott b



(No Model.) I 7 S. WHITEHOUSE 86 S. R. PRYE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

1%.. 308,721. Patented Dec. 2, 1884.

f W g z/ m U ITED STATES PATENT @rrrcri.

SAMUEL YVHITEHOUSE AND SGOTT' FRYE, OF BATH, MAINE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,721, dated December 2, 1884.

Application filcd'October 11, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL VVHITEHOUSE and Soorr R. FRYE, of Bath, in the county of Sagadahoo, State of Maine, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Fire- Escapes, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation representing our improved fire-escape in position for use, and Fig. 2 aside view of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings. 7

Our invention relates to that class of fireescapes which are designed to be permanently attached to the building; and it consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more desirable and effective device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents thebuilding, and B a balcony at the top of the lower story.

Projecting from the front of the building,

' near the eaves C, there is a bracket, D, provided with suitable braces, 06, and suspended from the outer end of this bracket there is an arm or hanger, E. J ournaled horizontally in the lower end of said arm and in a bearing,

an, attached to the side of the building there is and adapted to receive persons escaping from the burning building. A brake-lever, V, is pivoted at r to the side of the building A and adapted to be pressed onto the drum N by a person standing on the balcony B, A strapbrake, P, has its lower end secured to the building at z and passes partially around the drum J, its upper or free end being connected by a cord, S, with the lever V in such manner that when said lever is depressed to brake the lower drum, N, the brake P will be simultaneously applied to the upper drum, J.

In the use of our improvement, the brakes being applied to the drums through the medium of the lever V to prevent them from turning, persons escaping from the building may step out of the window Q, into the crate T and be lowered safely to the balcony B in a manner which will be readily obvious without a more explicit description.

It will be obvious that as the crates descend past the windows persons may escape from either story of the house; also, that the crates may be stopped by means of the brakes in any desired position to receive passengers; also, that in case there is no person present to operate the brake'lever V the brake 1? may be applied by the passengers in the cratesTpulling on the cord S, which is soarranged with respect to the crates as to readily be used in such a contingency.

WVe do not confine ourselves to the use of form adapted to receive passengers and convey them to the balcony may be employed.-

Neither do we confine ourselves to using the balcony,as the lower shaft,K,may be j ournaled in proper supports standing on the ground or sidewalk, if desired. Any suitablemeans may also be employed for supporting the shafts G K, and instead of the cord S a wire or chain may be used.

Having thus explained our invention,what we claim is 1. In a fire-escape, the combination of the following instru-mentalities, to wit: two endless ohain belts, a series of crates or platforms attached to said belts and adapted to receive and convey passengers from an upper to a lower story of a burning building, sprocket wheels for the belts, shafts on which the wheels are mounted, and a brake mechanism adapted to regulate the descent of the crates when part of them are loaded, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape, the shaft K,wheels M M,

5 drum N, brake-lever V, and balcony B, in combination with the belts R, crates T, and means for supporting said belts and crates, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the bracket D, arm E, shaft G, wheels H H, drum J, and strap 1, in combination with the belts 1%,crates T, and means for applying said strap to said drum to brake the same and regulate the descent of the 1 crates when part of them are loaded, substair I 5 tially as described.

4. The improved fire-escape herein de scribed, the same consisting of the shaft G, wheels H H, drum J, strap P, chains R. crates T, shaft K, wheels M, drum N, lever V, cord S, and proper supports for said shafts, combined and arranged to operate substantially as set forth. p

5. In aiire-eseape, two brakes, one of which is disposed at the upper and the other at the lower part of the building, and connected in such a manner that they may be operated simultaneously, substantially as described.

SAMUEL XVHITEHOUSE.

I SCOTT R. FRYE.

Vitncsses:

E. W. RIDER,

W. B. MUssENnEN. 

